Container forming mechanism



NW; 14, 1939. M. HERES CONTAINER FORMING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-$heet lINVENTOR MARTIN HERES Filed March 15, 1938 ATTORNEY Nov. 14, 1939. M.HEVRES 2,179,742

CONTAINER FORMING MECHANISM F 'iled larch 15, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR MARTIN HERES ATTORNEY Nov. M, 1939.. M. HERES 2179.742

I CONTAINER FORMING MECHANISM Filed March 15, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR MARTIN HERES ATTORNEY M HERE S CONTAINER FORMING MECHANISM 7Nov. 14, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 15, 1938 Ie- V\\\&\IIIIIIIIIIIIII lNVENTOR MARTIN HERES ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 14, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,179,742 CONTAINER FORMING MECHANISM MartinHeres, Elmhurst, N. Y., assignor to Eppens, Smith Company, Inc New York,N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 15, 1938, SerialNo. 195,999

4 Claims. (c1. 93-3) f This invention has to do in a generic sense withcontainer forming mechanism.

By way of example, I have selected the tea bag art. In the manufactureof containers typified by this industry, the production of the commodityis usually on a vast scalerunning into the millions. The item of expenseis manifestly important, andit is in connection with this that myinvention is essentially directed. succinctly, I contemplate an economyin the gauze or other fabrics which go to make up the bags per se.

To the accomplishment of the recited object and others co-ordinatetherewith, one embodiment of my invention resides in the constructionand arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and embodied in the scope of the appended claims.

In said drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a conventional type oftea ball machine, showing the application of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a gauze blank after it v has been severed.

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the contour of the blanksubsequent to trimming.

Fig. 4 is a transverse View of the pattern plate and its accessories,with the lower extremity of the plunger in full lines, as taken alongsection l--4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a topplan view of the pattern plate, the plunger element beingin section.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the plate, showing the position of thegauze, after it has been partially forced into the pattern.

Fig, 7 is an elevation, partly in section, illustrating the position ofthe gauze as it obtains in Fig. 6, with the closing jaws added.

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the positionof the gauze as it appearswhen its upper ends are just below the pattern plate.

Fig. 9 is a similar view with the upper extremities of the gauze shownjust previous to their being emitted from the cone.

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the position of the gauze as it passesfrom the cone and is about to be engaged by the closing jaws.

Fig. 11 is a view illustrating the gauze as it becomes initially engagedby the closing jaws.

Fig. 12 illustrates the final position of the closing jaws as the bag isclosed.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 showing the surplus quantity ofgauze remaining after the bag has been tied, and ready for trimming, and

Fig. 14 is an elevation of the finished bag.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 designates the bed of themachine with supporting legs, as 6. On top of the bed, and preferablytowards one end thereof, is an upright l which sustains a horizontallydisposed plate 3. Extending in line with upright l is a rod 9 havinglateral yoke l0 carrying plunger tube H depending5 from hopper l2.

Plate 8, as best illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, may be square,rectangular or any other desired shape. Medially,it is cut-out topresent an openi 8 ing which somewhat simulates a quatrefoil de-IO notedgenerally bythe reference character l3, and comprising a central openingIt with equidistantally spaced arcuate foils or slots Iii-in the presentinstance, although the number may be varied'at will. For the sake ofclarity, this quatre- 1'5 foil is styled a pattern or die.

Depending from the inner angles l6 of the walls bounding opening I l arevertical guides ll which extend to a point coincidental with the loweredges l8 of collar I9. Internally, this collar is in the form of aninverted truncated cone with walls 20 spaced from guides ll; positioneddirectly beneath slots I5; and being inclined and converging downwardlytowards the distal ends of said guides.

Lower edge of plunger II has a ratchet-like contour with inclines 2| andprojections 22, corresponding numerically to the slots in the patternplate.

Gauze 23 is designed to pass from the roll 24 through feed-rolls 25 and26, and severed into blanks, as 21, by knife 28. This means, as well asthe mechanism for delivering and measuring a predetermined quantity ofsome commodity-- shown at 29; means for closing the filledcontainercomprising turntable 30 carrying clamping jaws 3|; and tieingand tag afiixing apparati constitute no part of this invention, and onlysuch parts are shown diagrammatically as will enable one skilled in theart to gain a clear understanding of the operation of my improvement.

In operation, gauze 23 is severed by knife 28 into rectangular blanks as21. Each blank assumes a position in superposed relation to the top ofplate 8, and is centered to a nicety, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Asplunger ll descends. pointed projections 22 thereof engage the fabricand constrain the latter into the opening [4 and slots E5 of the patternplate, thereby initially preforming the blank-see Fig. 6.Simultaneously,

a predetermined quantity of some commodity, for example, tea 32 (seeFig. 7) is deposited in the pocket thus formed. Plunger ll proceeding inits downward path, and the sharp, though not too sharp, serrated edgesthereof still impinging against and holding the .fabric, causes the antcontour.

short ends 33 thereof to follow vertical guides l1, and the long ends34, to traverse the inclined walls 20 of collar IS, with the resultthat, when the fabric reaches the position shown in Fig. 8, long ends 34overlap and lie contiguous short ends 33. This movement is unique inthat, while the plunger elementmoves in a vertical plane, and thepreforming pattern remains stationary, the fabric itself is virtuallysubjected to a spiral movement.

The partially formed bag, exhibited in Figs. 8 and 9, continues toemergefrom collar 20 and as this operation proceeds the upper extremityof the fabric is grasped by the oppositely disposed coacting jaws 3|,mounted on the turntable 30, un-' til the neck of the bag is broughttogether, see illustration Fig. 12. The surplus fabric is trimmed, theblank shown in Fig. 3 illustrating the result- In this form the neck istied with a suitable string 35, and if desired, the string may beprovided with a tag 36.

Heretofore, the production of tea bags has entailed the use of fabricmeasuring five and oneeighth inches square. With my invention thedimensions of the fabric are reduced to four and one-half inches square,and the bag or container holds as equal amount of the commoditytea. Whenit is taken into consideration that containers of this type aremanufactured by the millions, it will be seen that the saving thuseffected is a very material one. Moreover, my improvement has thecapitaladvantage of being extremely simple in construction, andrequiring only a nominal outlay for its adaptation to machines alreadyon the market.

In its broader aspects my invention comprehends the employment not onlyof the various means described, but of equivalent means for performingthe recited functions. It is desiredto reserve the right to effect suchchanges as may come fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the class described, comprising, in combination, aplate having an opening merging into a plurality of curved slots,vertical guides depending from said plate, a unitary collar disposedbeneath the plate and surrounding said guides, the inside of the collarhaving a continuous inclined wall, and a plunger operable through theopening.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising, in combination, aplate having an opening merging into a plurality of curved slots,vertical spaced guides depending from said plate, a unitary collardisposed beneath the plate and surrounding said guides, the inside ofthe collar having a continuous inclined Wall, converging towards theouter free terminals of said guides, and a plunger operable through theopening.

3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising, in combination, aplate having an opening merging into a plurality of curved slots,vertical guides depending from said plate, a unitary collar disposedbeneath the plate and surrounding said guides, the inside of the collarhaving a continuous inclined wall, the lower terminals of the guides andthe bottom edge of the collar being co-extensive, and a plunger operablethrough the opening.

4. An apparatus of the class described, comprising, in combination, aplate having an opening merging into a plurality of curved slots,vertical guides depending from said plate, a unitary collar disposedbeneath the plate and surrounding said guides, the inside of the collarhaving a continuous inclined Wall, the lower terminals of the guides andthe bottom edge of the collar being co-extensive and spaced from eachother, and a plunger operable through the opening.

MARTIN HERES.

